About Me

I feel I am able to communicate
well and I have a good grounding
in people skills.......Basically
all humanity is the same!
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The foundation of this blog was cemented by the Assassination of Hrant Dink on 19.01.07. I was listening to Setrak Setrakian’s rendition of Arno Babajanian’s composition, Elegy. So
moved by Hrant’s shortened life by the virtue of speaking his mind that I wrote the poem, ‘Without You’ with Hrant's family in mind. The subject matter of the recognition of the ‘Genocide of the Armenians in 1915,’ is very much at the heart and the minds of Armenian's Internationally.
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I want to say: 'Thank you,'
to Keith for the Creation
and Launch of,
Seta's Armenian.blogspot.com
and Armenag for the sources
of information.
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If you feel it would be appropriate, please include a link to my Blog from your Site. I would like my Blog to be as eclectic as possible and include material from as many and different sources so long as it is relevant to my subject matter.

About My Blog

This well-established Blog is worth visiting on a regular basis for a wealth of information of interest to Armenian nationals and to the Armenian Diaspora world-wide. Although it has a particular role in promoting international recognition of the Genocide, the Blog encompasses much more and includes many articles of general appeal to all those concerned with Armenian affairs. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere and the long list of links provided gives easy access to a plethora of material on social, political, religious, educational and cultural matters, and many news items from around the world.

Thursday, 29 April 2010

Another "April 24" has come and gone with all its suffering,accusations, counter accusations and cross-vilifications. In themeantime, ugly scenes took place in Yerevan and Beirut, where Turkishflags and effigies of Turkish leaders were burned by hard-liners. Itdid not take long for hard-liner Turks to reciprocate, and the next dayArmenian flags were burned in Istanbul, which also frequently witnessesthe burning of Israeli, American and Chinese flags, to name but a few.

Looking at all this, it is clear that the proverbial "glass" is notyet "half full" in terms of reconciliation between the Turkish andArmenian nations. But neither can it be said to be totally empty. Thisyear there were unprecedented developments that cracked the hard shellof hatred between the two peoples. These can be expected to continue.

Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, for example, had kind words forPresident Abdullah Gul in his speech, in which he explained to hisnation why Yerevan was only suspending the Turkish-Armenian protocolsand not annulling them. He also thanked those Turkish intellectualswho have started to openly share the pain of the Armenian people.

It was noteworthy in this respect that two commemorative events tookplace in Istanbul on April 24 to sympathize with Armenians who sufferedin 1915. The numbers of those attending were not great perhaps. Butone of the organizations was the Human Rights Association, or IHD,which is well known and has branches all over Turkey. The other was bya group of intellectuals comprising academics, journalists, lawyers andbusinessmen etc., including some who are household names around Turkey.

These events were preceded by heated debates on television, wherethings never pronounced before concerning 1915 were said and where theterm "genocide" was used without qualifiers, such as "so called" or"alleged." Put another way, the infamous "article 301" of the penalcode holds no sway over this debate anymore despite the existence ofoverzealous nationalist prosecutors.

In the meantime, one of the most notable articles in the mainstreamTurkish press on the topic came from Hasan Cemal of Milliyet.

"Some may call it deportation, some a tragedy, some may say genocide,while some may refer to the great disaster. But you cannot deny it."

Cemal said going on to indicate he shares the suffering of theArmenian people. What makes Cemal's words important is that he isthe grandson of the infamous Cemal Pasha who was implicated in themass deportations of the Armenians in 1915.

Last year Cemal, while in Armenia, also met the grandson of the killerof his grandfather, who was gunned down by a vengeance-seeking Armeniannationalist in Tbilisi in July 1922. The meeting was later describedby witnesses as "a civilized and highly emotional event."

There was also something new in President Obama's April 24 statementthis year. Of course, he displeased Armenians because he did not usethe term "genocide," but his remarks and the concrete number he usedfor Armenian losses in 1915 were sufficient to show what he believeshappened then.

But what was new in his statement was that he thanked Turks who hadsaved Armenians in 1915, a dimension of the whole issue that is notdwelled on in any great length when this subject is debated.

Even the great Austrian writer Franz Werfel acknowledges this importantfact in his masterpiece "40 Days on Musa Dagh." Those who have readthis amazing piece of work know one of the "righteous" characters inthe novel is a certain "Rifat Bereket Agha" from Antakya, who actuallyexisted in real life.

Meanwhile, Turkish papers have become abound with human intereststories about Armenians. Contacts are increasing between Turkish andArmenian citizen groups, professional organizations and academicians.

In addition to this, Turkish reporters are traveling both to Armeniaand places like Beirut, where Armenians live in large numbers andare reporting on what they hear and see.

These reports indicate clearly that Armenians will never forget whathappened to them in 1915, and no one has a right to expect this fromthem. But they also indicate a very lively curiosity about Turkey,as well as certain nostalgia, which is normal given that Turks andArmenians have much in common culturally.

So the proverbial glass is not yet half full by a long shot. Butthe developments of the past two years, including the two protocolssigned by the foreign ministers in Zurich, have galvanized somethingbetween the two nations that did not exist before.

Hard-liners on both sides will try and nip this in the bud, of course.

But many seeds have been and are being sowed presently. And anyone whoworks in a garden knows no matter how inhospitable the soil may be,some seeds will insist on growing.

NO ALTERNATIVE TO RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

- SARGSYANInterfaxApril 27 2010Russia

There is no alternative to the international recognition of theArmenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire, Armenian President SerzhSargsyan said in an address posted on the 95th anniversary of thegenocide.

"A crime unprecedented by its scale, barbarity and consequences wasorchestrated by the state and committed 95 years ago," he said.

"We are grateful to everyone, including people in Turkey, who realizesthe importance of the prevention of crimes against humanity andsupport our struggle. There is no alternative to the recognition[of this crime]," he said in a statement released by his press service.

Armenia held a memorial service for victims of the 1915 Armeniangenocide in the Ottoman Empire on April 24. More than 1.5 millionArmenians are believed to have fallen victim during the genocide.

Turkey denies the genocide which is recognized by a number of states.

Sargsyan signed an ordinance stopping the ratification of protocols ondiplomatic relations and normalization between Armenia and Turkeyon Thursday. He also declared the Armenian secession from thenormalization process.

Israel's parliament agreed on Wednesday to again consider a draftresolution recognizing the World War One-era mass killings anddeportations of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey as genocide.

The Knesset decided by 12 votes to 8, with one abstention, that one ofits standing committees will discuss the resolution and determinewhether it should be put to a full parliament vote.

Speaker Reuven Rivlin was among those who voted for thedecision. Significantly, a representative of Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu also backed a parliament debate on the bill draftedby Haim Oron, the leader of the left-wing opposition Meretz party.

Most of the lawmakers voting against its inclusion on the parliamentagenda were from the Yisrael Beiteinu party, a junior partner inNetanyahu's coalition government that mainly represents Jewishimmigrants from Soviet republics and Azerbaijan in particular. One ofthem, the Baku-born Yosef Shagal, said Israel should not pass judgmenton what he described as a Turkish-Armenian dispute.

It is not yet clear which Knesset committee will pick up themeasure. Oron wants it to be debated by the Education Committee,having failed to push similar bills through the Foreign Affairs andDefense Committee in 2009 and 2008. But both Rivlin and Netanyahu'srepresentative said that the latter panel should again deal with thematter.

The Defense Committee did not even vote on the Armenian genocideresolutions in the past, despite clearance from the Knesset. It thushighlighted successive Israeli governments' reluctance to antagonizeTurkey, a rare Muslim partner of the Jewish state.

The Netanyahu government did not back a parliament debate on Armeniangenocide recognition on the previous occasion, in May 2009.Commentators might link the apparent shift in its position on thehighly sensitive issue to recent months' worsening of Turkish-Israelirelations.

President Serzh Sarkisian held out hope for Armenian electricityexports to Turkey on Tuesday just as one of his top diplomats warnedthat Yerevan may still formally rescind the Turkish-Armeniannormalization agreements.

Sarkisian touched, in passing, upon his decision to freeze Armenianparliamentary ratification of the agreements as he chaired a regularmeeting of his advisory Council on Atomic Energy Safety. He said theopening of the Turkish-Armenian frontier, which he described as`Europe's last closed border,' would give a massive boost to energycooperation in the region.

`Despite the fact that the process has been suspended because of theTurkish government's inactivity, we see a potential to exportelectricity to Turkey and, by transit, on to countries of the MiddleEast,' the president said. He did not specify whether he thinksArmenian power supplies could start before the Turkish-Armenianprotocols are put into effect.

An agreement on such deliveries was reportedly reached by Armenian andTurkish energy companies during Turkish President Abdullah Gul'shistoric visit to Yerevan in September 2008. Energy Minister ArmenMovsisian and other Armenian officials repeatedly said in thefollowing months that power grids in eastern Turkey are gearing upelectricity supplies from Armenia.

Movsisian said in October last year that the energy deal has not beenimplemented because of `political problems in Turkey.' The effectivefreezing of the Turkish-Armenian protocols announced by Sarkisian onApril 22 seems to have made the launch of energy cooperation betweenthe two neighboring states even more problematic.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service after the meeting of thepresidential council, Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosiandefended Sarkisian's decision not to walk away from the protocolsdespite Ankara's refusal to unconditionally ratify them.

`Let us not forget that we too have an option to withdraw oursignatures [from the protocols,]' Kirakosian said. `That is avariant. Depending on further developments in the process, we may usethat variant.'

The diplomat added that such a scenario will be `definitely possible'if the normalization process remains deadlocked. But he could not sayjust how long Yerevan is ready to wait.

`If there are credible statements and actions by the Turkishleadership, there will be adequate steps on our part,' Nalbandian toldArmenian Public Television late on Monday. `But I see no needwhatsoever to start new negotiations [with Ankara.]'

Nalbandian also hit out at domestic critics of the Sarkisianadministration's policy on Turkey. He said recent resolutions approvedby U.S. and Swedish lawmakers disproved their claims that theTurkish-Armenian rapprochement will halt broader internationalrecognition of the Armenian genocide.

And in an apparent jibe at former President Robert Kocharian,Nalbandian said: `You know, when it comes to ensuring the continuityof foreign policy, that doesn't mean we should continue mistakes. Wemust not repeat mistakes, and it is this logic that led the presidentof the republic to start this process.' He did not elaborate.

Earlier on Monday, a key member of the Kocharian administration,former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, renewed his strong criticismof the protocols and said Sarkisian has opted for the worst possibleresponse to the Turkish delay tactic. `If there were half a dozenpossible exit strategies from this situation - from doing nothing torevoking Armenia's signature - the government has chosen the optionleast beneficial to us,' Oskanian said in a statement.

Kirakosian, who served as deputy foreign minister also under Oskanian,disagreed with the claim, arguing that Sarkisian's move has beenpraised by the United States and other foreign powers. `I think it wasthe right decision,' he said. `Right now we are waiting to see whatdevelopments will occur in Turkey in relation to the ratificationprocess.'

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday defended the government'sefforts to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia and warnedthat Turkey had the right to take necessary measures should Armeniadistort two protocols on restoring the ties.

Davutoglu and his Armenian counterpart, Edward Nalbandian, signedthe two protocols in October but they are yet to be ratified in thenational parliaments -- a necessary condition for their implementation-- amid mutual accusations of belatedly added preconditions. Turkeysays a decision of the Constitutional Court of Armenia on the protocolsinterprets them in a way that misrepresent their objectives.

Armenia, on the other hand, says Turkey has linked the process to theNagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan although thiscontravenes the text of the protocols.

Davutoglu, speaking at a parliamentary session, gave assurances to theopposition that the protocols will go into force only on the conditionthat they are implemented without any alteration. "We will make surethat there will be no confusion or grey area in the implementation ofthe protocols," he told deputies. "We have the right to take necessarymeasures if the protocols are interpreted in a way that contradictstheir letter and spirit. ... Our parliaments will ratify the protocolswhen political conditions are ripe."

The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the NationalistMovement Party (MHP) object to the protocols, saying they harmTurkey's relations with Azerbaijan, an ethnic and regional ally ofTurkey and a key gas supplier. Deniz BÃ¶lukbaÅ~_Ä±, a deputy from theMHP, said after Davutoglu's speech that the signing of the protocolswith Armenia was a "historical mistake" as Armenia still refuses toformally recognize its borders with Turkey and keeps Nagorno-Karabakhand adjacent territory in Azerbaijani land under occupation.

CHP Deputy Chairman Onur Oymen criticized the government's pledgesto continue with the normalization process with Armenia despitethe ruling of the Armenian Constitutional Court. "This decision isirreversible. How can you say you will ratify the protocols despitethis decision?" Oymen asked in Parliament.

Davutoglu, on the other hand, said normal ties with neighbors are akey element for peace in the Caucasus and that the government wouldcontinue with its initiative for normal ties with Armenia despiteobstacles raised in Armenia and in other parts of the world by theArmenian diaspora. "We can opt for preserving the status quo and wecan live happily and comfortably for a while as a result. But we willend up leaving a troubled Caucasus to our grandchildren," he said.

"The status quo in the Caucasus is not in the interests of Turkeyor Azerbaijan or Armenia or Russia but so far no brave step has beentaken to change it. Now, what we want is to change it."

The foreign minister also said Turkey was acting in full coordinationwith Azerbaijan. "No development can harm the friendship betweenTurkey and Azerbaijan," he said.

ARMENIA MAY IMPROVE TIES WITH TURKEY, IF AGREEMENTS

OBSERVEDItar-TassApril 27 2010Russia

YEREVAN, April 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Armenia is ready to advance inthe improvement of relations with Turkey, if Ankara observes theagreements reached between the countries, Armenian Foreign MinisterEdward Nalbandian said on the republican public television. "We areready to move forward, if Turkey turns in our partner again ready toadvance without preconditions, improve relations and to fulfill theagreements," the minister noted. "It is Turkey to decide whether wewill be new or old partners," Nalbandian noted.

"We passed a certain way for improving the relations withoutpreconditions. From our point of view and from that of theinternational community, this way is the only right one," the ministerrecalled. "If Turkey makes again statements worthy of trust, undertakesthe deeds worthy of trust, there will be adequate steps on our side,"Nalbandian reaffirmed.

The minister considers it unnecessary to enter again into thenegotiations with Turkey. "Armenia will never participate in theprocess (of normalization with Turkey - Itar-Tass) for the sake ofthe process and in the negotiations for the sake of negotiations,"Nalbandian noted. "We launched this process, entered into thenegotiations, initialed and then signed the protocols, which arepending ratification," the minister believes. But then "the process ofimproving Armenian-Turkish relations was deadlocked, but the deadlockwas broken at the initiative of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,"the Armenian foreign minister pointed out.

Two developments on Armenian-Turkish issues spilled a lot of ink lastweek. Neither one was significant, but assumed significance becauseof extensive international media coverage.

On April 22, exactly a year after the release of the roadmap,ostensibly to normalize Armenia-Turkey relations, and six monthsafter the infamous Protocols were signed by the two countries withgreat fanfare, Pres. Serzh Sargsyan announced their suspension.

There was actually nothing new in this announcement. It has beencrystal clear for months that Turkey's leaders never intended toratify the Protocols. They simply wanted to exploit them in order toextract further concessions from Armenia. Turks repeatedly announcedthat unless Armenia turned over Karabagh (Artsakh) to Azerbaijan,the Turkish Parliament would not ratify the Protocols. As time wentby, Turkey added more inane demands, such as reversal of the ArmenianConstitutional Court's decision, and withdrawal of genocide resolutionsfrom Parliaments of other countries. Since Armenia had repeatedlyannounced that it would not be the first to ratify the Protocols,the accords were already frozen for months, if not stillborn.

Even though some may view Pres. Sargsyan's decision as a boldmove, it would have been far more preferable for him to withdrawhis country's signature from the Protocols, since they were deadin the water anyway. He could have easily blamed their collapse onTurkey's intransigence. He did acknowledge in his last week's publicannouncement that he decided to suspend the Protocols, after Russia,France and the United States asked him not to abandon them completely.

Now that Armenia has blinked first, Turkey is blaming it for causingthe collapse of the Protocols. Armenia has thus helped Turkey towiggle its way out of the intense international pressure it wassubjected to in recent months for its failure to ratify them.

Moreover, as long as the Protocols are not completely discarded,Turkey will continue to exploit them by cleverly claiming that it isstill committed to their ratification under the "right" conditions,and will use them as a viable tool to defeat all initiatives by thirdcountries on the Armenian Genocide.

Regrettably, Turkey is not the only country exploiting the Protocols.

Pres. Obama, after pressuring Armenia not to reject the Protocols,dodged the term "Armenian Genocide" once again in his annualstatement. He used as an excuse the non-existent "dialogue amongTurks and Armenians."

Just as he had done last year, Pres. Obama substituted the term "MedsYeghern" [Great Calamity] for the Armenian Genocide and used the sameworn out euphemisms and shameful word games for which, as a Senatorand presidential candidate, he had condemned Pres. George W. Bush.

The overwhelming majority of Armenian-Americans, who had supportedObama's candidacy and trusted him, now feel disillusioned anddeceived. He ran his campaign on the promise of change, only toadopt the same immoral position of his predecessors, even though hekeeps saying that he has not changed his mind regarding his pledgeto acknowledge the Armenian Genocide!

In a column I wrote last year after Pres. Obama first brokehis campaign promise on the Armenian Genocide, I stated thatArmenian-Americans do not need to beg him to acknowledge the Genocide.

Thirty years ago, Pres. Reagan issued a Presidential Proclamationreferring to the Armenian Genocide. Therefore, Armenian-Americanssee no special advantage in a repeat statement by Pres. Obama. Bynot keeping his word, however, Pres. Obama succeeded in undermininghis own reputation and credibility with the American people and worldpublic opinion.

It is simply mind-boggling that the President of the United Stateswould go out of his way to issue a statement that would alienate thevery people he is trying to accommodate.

Just imagine what the outcry would be had Pres. Obama referred to theHolocaust as a massacre or a tragic event. Yet, this is exactly whathe has done on the Armenian Genocide by using a series of euphemismsin his April 24 statement: "Dark past," "Dark moment in history,""painful history." "awful events of 1915," " a devastating chapter,""one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century," "murder," and"terrible events." Pres. Obama's aides could have spent their timemore usefully by reading a history book rather than a dictionaryof synonyms.

The only new idea in Pres. Obama's April 24, 2010 statement is thefollowing brief sentence: "I salute the Turks who saved Armeniansin 1915." This is a commendable notion which unfortunately becomesdevoid of any meaning, in the absence of who or what exactly theseArmenians were saved from!

We all hope that the solemn commemorations next April 24 would notbe tarnished either by the Protocols (frozen or thawed) or by Pres.

Obama's offensive statement!

RFE/RL Report

EU `Pleased' With Armenian Caution On Turkey27.04.2010

The European Union on Tuesday welcomed Armenia's decision not to walkaway from its fence-mending agreements with Turkey, while expressingconcern about `the loss of momentum in this process.'

The EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy,Catherine Ashton, also reaffirmed through a spokesperson the bloc'ssupport for an unconditional and speedy ratification of theTurkish-Armenian protocols sought by Yerevan.

`The High Representative is pleased to note that Armenia remainscommitted to pursue the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkishrelations but at the same time expresses concern about the loss ofmomentum in this process,' the unnamed spokesperson said in astatement circulated by the EU delegation in Yerevan.

`The EU reiterates its call to both countries to continue theirdialogue and remain committed to the process of normalization withoutpreconditions and in a reasonable timeframe,' said the statement.

Germany, a key EU member state, also praised President Serzh Sarkisianfor not formally ending the normalization process, in a separatestatement released by its ambassador in Yerevan, Hans-JochenSchmidt. `We greatly welcome that,' said Schmidt.

France, another EU heavyweight, as well as the United States reactedto Sarkisian's move in a similar fashion late last week. `We applaudPresident Sarkisian's decision to continue to work towards a vision ofpeace, stability, and reconciliation,' said U.S. Assistant Secretaryof State Philip Gordon.

Both the U.S. and the EU have essentially shared Yerevan's view thatArmenia and Turkey should normalize relations regardless of decisiveprogress in international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakhconflict. Ankara regards such progress as a necessary condition forTurkish ratification of the protocols.

`The High Representative believes that the full normalization ofbilateral relations between Armenia and Turkey will contribute tosecurity, stability and cooperation in the Southern Caucasus,' readthe EU statement. `The EU will continue to provide its political andtechnical support to this process and stands ready to helpimplementing the steps agreed between the two countries.'

Los Angeles, CA - On Friday, April 16, 2010, during a dinner reception held at the residence of Ara and Julia Aghishian, Armenia Fund U.S. Western Region honored long time supporter Ralph Yirikian, Chief Executive Officer of VivaCell MTS with the Armenia Fund Corporate Philanthropy Award. Yirikian was visiting the United States to expand VivaCell-MTS's corporate social responsibility programs.

The event attracted Armenia Fund's long time supporters and donors and provided a unique opportunity to meet with Yirikian who has long shared the unshakeable devotion to the betterment of the Homeland. Also, present at the event was Consul General of the Republic of Armenia, Grigor Hovhannissian.

U.S. Western Region Chairman, Ara Aghishian, Esq., expressed gratitude to VivaCell MTS for its generous support of Armenia Fund's nation-building efforts in Armenia and Artsakh. Since 2007 VivaCell MTS has been the general sponsor of Armenia Fund's Telethon - an international live fundraiser that reaches every Armenian community around the world - underwriting the production cost and maximizing the impact of every donation in the Homeland.

"Armenia Fund appreciates VivaCell MTS' belief in leading by example when it comes to corporate philanthropy in our Homeland. VivaCell's partnership with Armenia Fund brings a tangible positive change in the lives of thousands in Armenia”, said Aghishian.

Mr. Yirikian spoke of his personal story of permanently moving to Armenia with his family, a challenging task at first, but a very rewarding experience for his Armenian identity. "Instead of listening to others' experiences in Armenia - good or bad – one should visit Armenia, stand on its soil, breath its air, drink its water and talk to its people. Only this way one can fully grasp his or her Armenian identity and shape an opinion about what Armenia is”, said Yirikian.

Yirikian thanked Armenia Fund donors and supporters for their unwavering commitment to working towards a stronger Armenia and a prosperous Homeland. "We stand by Armenia Fund because we believe in Armenia Fund's mission. We will continue supporting it”, added Yirikian.

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Since 1991, Armenia Fund has rendered more than $190 million in development aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Following his trip to the United States, Turkish Foreign Minister AhmetDavutoglu traveled to Azerbaijan April 19, after which he will travelto Iran. Though Ankara and Washington are pursuing a fresh diplomaticattempt to simultaneously restore Turkish-Armenian ties and resolveterritorial differences between Azerbaijan and Armenia, they willcontinue to face heavy resistance from both Baku and Moscow in theirefforts. Meanwhile, Turkey will use the Armenian-Azerbaijan disputeto involve Iran in another regional affair, thereby showing Ankara'scapacity as a potential mediator between the United States and Iran.

Analysis Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu traveled toAzerbaijan April 19 after departing from Washington, where he andTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with U.S. officialsto discuss the contentious issues of Turkish-Armenian diplomaticnormalization and a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh territorialdispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During Erdogan's stay, U.S. President Barack Obama was firm withErdogan in expressing Washington's desire for Turkey to move forwardin signing the parliamentary protocols to reopen Turkey's borderwith Armenia. A stronger Turkish presence in the Caucasus would,in the United States' view, pose a counter to Russian influence inthe region and potentially expands trade and transit from the MiddleEast to Central Asia without having to traverse Russian territory - agrowing strategic need for the United States as it seeks to militarilyextricate itself from Iraq and transfer resources to Afghanistan.

Turkey, however, has demanded in return that the United States, alongwith France and Russia, first do their part within the Minsk Groupto pressure Armenia into conceding on Nagorno-Karabakh. Only then,Turkey argues, can it effectively deal with Azerbaijan, which has beenalienated by the Turkish-Armenian negotiations and has consequentlygrown closer to Russia, putting Turkey's and Western Europe's energydiversification plans at risk. According to STRATFOR sources inTurkey, Erdogan and Obama have come up with a preliminary proposalthat would entail Armenia publicly outlining a road map to withdrawfrom a certain mountainous section of Nagorno-Karabakh. That way,Turkey can distance itself from the Minsk Group's efforts and showat least some progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue to move forwardwith the Armenia protocols.

It is thus up to Turkey to convince Azerbaijan to go along with thisproposal (hence Davutoglu's trip to Baku) and up to the United Statesto convince Armenia to make this public concession. Success is notassured in either effort, particularly given the history of past roadmaps that have ended in stalemate and as Russia, which has significantinfluence over Armenia and growing influence over Azerbaijan, willbe expected to scuttle this latest proposal.

Indeed, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has been called up for avisit to Moscow April 20 to discuss the latest U.S.-Turkish push on theprotocols. STRATFOR sources in Armenia say Russia is urging Sarkisianto push for legislation that would allow the president to withdrawfrom an agreement with Turkey at any time without parliamentaryapproval. Such a move would allow Russia more freedom to hamper thetalks when the need arises.

Azerbaijan, meanwhile, is already angry at the United States for notincluding it in the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April12, where Armenian, Turkish and U.S. officials met on the sidelinesto discuss this issue. Baku's anger could be seen in Azerbaijan'scancellation of joint military drills with the United States plannedfor May.

While the United States has been firm with Turkey on the issue ofArmenia and Azerbaijan, Turkey has been just as firm with the UnitedStates in defending Iran. Davutoglu is scheduled to leave Baku forTehran to inform the Iranian leadership of the results of his meetingsin Washington. In defiance of the U.S.-hosted Nuclear Security Summit,Iran hosted its own nuclear summit in Tehran April 17-18 and isfeeling confident about its ability to deflect U.S. pressure on itsnuclear activities.

For Turkey to demonstrate that it is playing a useful mediator role inthis conflict, it needs to show it can carry some influence with Iran.

For this reason, Turkey likely will entertain Iran's efforts to getinvolved in other regional disputes, such as the Nagorno-Karabakhconflict, as a way of recognizing Iran's regional clout to earnTehran's trust in the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Moreover, involving Iran in the negotiations is a way to further diluteTurkey's responsibility over the Nagorno-Karabakh affair and provideAnkara with more room to maneuver in its negotiations with Armenia. Tothis end, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced April19 that Iran will host a meeting among foreign ministers from Armenia,Azerbaijan and Iran. Iran does not carry nearly as much influence inthis dispute as Turkey and Russia, but it is another foreign policyarena for Tehran to project its influence with Turkey's endorsement.

(the following article deminstrates Turkey's subservience to the Azeris)

” not only with Ankara but with all other countries of the region, led by

Azerbaijan, where it still has occupying troops.

And, obviously, there was a reference to the need to develop good

neighborly relations in the text of the Armenia protocols and thus there

was as well a written condition in the protocols implying in all clarity that

Yerevan is expected to give up its intransigence, stop its aggression and

start withdrawing from the occupied Azerbaijani territory.

Obviously, apart from the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the issue of

the occupied Azerbaijani regions, Armenia is required to lift the

preconditions imposed on the interpretation of the protocols by its

Constitutional Court. It must also declare its recognition of the Kars and

Gyumri accords between Turkey and the former Soviet Union (and the

then-communist Armenian republic, which was part of the Soviet empire)

and thus officially recognize the existing borders between Turkey and

Armenia and declare it has no designs on Turkish territory.

Failed political ploy

Armenia’s move to start the process of ratifying the protocols was a

cunning political move designed to corner Turkey and force it to also

act on the ratification of the protocols. The present decision of the

Armenian coalition government to halt the parliamentary ratification

process is a political decision conceding that the earlier move has

failed to achieve the designed effect in Ankara. Furthermore, two days

in advance of the anniversary of the alleged “genocide,” the decision

to halt the process of ratification is aimed at increasing the pressure

on U.S. President Barack Obama to use the “g” word in his anniversary

statement. At the very least, it aims to take away a possible pretext that

might be used by the American president to avoid the use of the

contentious word.

It will not be the end of the world for Turkey should the American

president decides to use the “g” word. Of course, such a decision will

have a cost for both the U.S. and Turkey, but Armenia will pay more

for such a development.

Yerevan should understand that Turkey has extended it a hand in

peace and good neighborliness. If it wants to turn down that hand,

it will be its own choice...

Hurriyet

Shoah is all right; Holocaust isn’tTuesday, April 27, 2010BURAK BEKDİL

Once again, the usual we-must-look-it-up-in-the-Thesaurus season inWashington is over and we all can sigh with relief. The thesaurus musthave depleted its alternative entries for the word “genocide,” asevidenced by President Barack Obama’s repeat of the words “MedsYeghern” in reference to the 1915 killings of Ottoman Armenians. So,“Great Calamity” is all right. “Genocide” is not.

The U.S. president’s selection for this year’s April 24 menu hasconfused hearts and minds. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was notoffended, but his Foreign Ministry was.

Some Turks were jubilant that President Obama avoided the term pushedby diaspora Armenians and their congressional allies. Some took to thestreets and shouted, in protest, “Allah is the greatest!” as if theywere marching for jihad.

Apparently there is something sick in the Turkish psyche. Turks aretoo prickly about being called genocide committers, but wear bittersmiles when they are called “the committers of one of the greatestatrocities of the 20th century,” or when their ancestors are accusedof causing a “devastating chapter.” Bizarre? Just “Turkishly”confusing…

Another bullet dodged, and many Turks breathed easily in all cornersof America. Some may have told their Turkish-American sons anddaughters that they can now take a deep breathe and relax… See, it’sjust “one of the greatest atrocities of the past century,” or merely“Meds Yeghern,” but not “genocide.”

The Armenians, on the other hand, must have thought of Mr. Obama as aleader who ended up just like any other human being – for the secondtime now, making promises he could not keep. It should not come as asurprise though because presidents George H. Bush and George W. Bushbroke similar pledges, and President Bill Clinton leaned on Congressnot to pass genocide commemoration measures. Hearts and minds tend tobreak.

Hence the Armenian National Committee of America’s statement,describing Mr. Obama's declaration as “yet another disgracefulcapitulation to Turkey's threats, offering euphemisms and evasiveterminology to characterize this crime against humanity.”

Mr. Obama was probably cute enough when he also mentioned howencouraged he was about the Armenian-Turkish dialogue, and the Turkishdomestic debate about the issue. He was fair and unfair, depending onwhich side of the Alican border one lives, when he mentioned the Turkswho helped the victims of other Turks’ atrocities. All in all, hisabstention from the dangerous word was sufficient for many to becontent on the western side of the border, if not all togetherjubilant; and sad and disappointed on the other side, if not angered.

As always, the Turks look divided. Serious faces in the corridors ofgrey buildings; prickly, less prickly and too prickly statements inreaction to the word “atrocities;” increased security around theTurkish embassy and consulates in the United States; but for the timebeing the Turkish ambassador to Washington seems not to be packing uponce again for another lengthy stay in Ankara.

President Obama’s speech was grey. Armenians were heart-broken andfelt cheated yet again. They believed the Turkish powers on the U.S.were deep. Turks were not happy that the issue did not disappear fromthe face of the earth, along with the victims’ bones, and that Mr.Obama’s speech was ambiguous and not supportive enough of their cause.

But there was some good coming out of this sad day. More and moreTurks are making attempts to understand the issue and the scientificproof of atrocities, or genocide, depending on which part you belong.Three outdoor commemorations of the “Armenian Genocide” on April 24, alecture by a diaspora Armenian journalist in Istanbul and a two-dayconference on the “Armenian Genocide” in Ankara took place, whileobstacles, counter-protests and fascist rhetoric tried to disrupt theevents and reminded the few hundred participants of the long wayahead.

Is it genocide? Will the much-spoken archives help? Will there be afilm soon, an adapted version of “Schindler’s List,” which not onlyshows the torment but also those on the other side who helped thevictims? If the person who had coined the term genocide, RaphaelLemkin, declares the Armenian tragedy as “genocide,” will thatsuffice?

One thing is clear though. Whether or not we like the Obama speech, itindicates that the president still opposes the “genocide” resolution,and its likelihood to pass is now slimmer than before.

Could human nature not help us here to provide a convincing argument?Could we not say: “Dear Armenians; we know you expect an apology butapologies come from nations – in majority at least – who can accepttheir faults, attempt to change and take lessons from their wrongs…Sorry, that’s not yet us. See, just a day before your ‘commemoration,’which was our Children’s Day, our beloved prime minister told the‘child prime minister of the day:’ ‘You can do whatever you please,you can hang them or use your sword, the choice is yours…’ So do nottake it personally, dear Armenians, it is not personal, this is us,your neighbors. Hello!”

But let’s try to derive some crisis resolution methodology from the“Obama jurisprudence” on the “genocide” dispute. Because for two yearsin a row, Mr. Obama’s preferred term for the tragedies of 1915-1920 is“Meds Yeghern,” will the president agree to a Turkish apology for“Meds Yeghern,” instead of “genocide?” Why should he not propose toCongress a resolution recognizing “Meds Yeghern” instead of“genocide?” Not many Turks would care if they are accused of havingancestors who had caused “Meds Yeghern.”

“Shoah” is all right; “genocide” is not.

(more balance in this article)

Hurriyet

A requiem for Armenians—a sequel

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Mustafa AKYOL

My latest piece in these pages, “For the fear of God: A requiem for

Armenians,” proved to be quite controversial. And I, as usual, was

blamed by some readers for being a bunch of nasty things. (A “traitor”

to my own nation who is funded by evil foreigners, a “fake” Turk who

hides his crypto-Armenianness, or a deceitful Islamist hell-bent on

destroying secular Turkey.)

I am not going to waste my time by trying to explain that I am really

not the man in these caricatures — or that I really don’t have fangs

and claws. But let me try to explain why I wrote a requiem on April 24

for the Armenians who perished in 1915. Because I hope that the

reasoning (and the sentiment) that I followed might also help other

Turks build a more righteous attitude in this poisonous controversy.

A tale of two arguments

I have been listening to both sides of this controversy, Turks and

Armenians, for years. And I have realized that we Turks often use

two major arguments.

The first one is what I call the There-Was-A-Reason argument. By

this, we are trying to tell the world that the expulsion of Armenians

from Anatolia in 1915 was forced by a troublesome political context.

The Ottoman Empire was crumbling. It had seen its Muslim

populations slaughtered in the Balkans and the Caucasus by the

Russians and their allies. The Ottoman elite had reason to suspect

that Armenian nationalists were the fifth column of Russia, with which

they were at war. The same elite also feared that an independent

Armenia in the east would be disastrous for the Turks.

Now, this is all true. And I, too, have written about these in this very

paper. (“After All, Who Remembers the Ottoman Muslims?” on

Feb. 15, 2007, and “Let's Be Honest on Genocide” on March 9,

2010) But understanding the context of something is different from

seeing it as justified.

What we should honestly ask ourselves here is whether it was

justified to expel a million people from four corners of Eastern

Anatolia to the Syrian Desert. If this was done simply to “secure

the eastern border from Armenian militias,” as we often say, then

why not only men but also women, children and the elderly were

also driven out of their homes? Was it too hard to see that most

of those innocents could not survive the hundreds of miles of

marching under the brazing sun without food, water and shelter?

Was it too hard to see that some could even be pillaged, raped

and murdered?

These questions make me suspect that the “tehcir” (expulsion)

law of the young Turkish government of the time was something

more than a security measure. It rather seems to me as an ethnic

cleansing for some political design. And I don’t know you, but I,

as a rule, am passionately against all ethnic cleansings

— whether they might be committed by the Serbs against the

Bosnians, the Israelis against the Palestinians (see episodes

such as Deir Yassin), or by my own country against the Armenians.

At this point, I am sure, some of the Turkish readers will raise

the objection that I call the second major Turkish argument:

But-We-Were-Killed-Too.

And this is true as well. Turks suffered horrible massacres at the

hands of Armenians militias, in a few incidents before 1915, but

in a much larger vengeance campaign in 1916 and 1917, when

the Russian forces invaded several cities in northeastern Anatolia.

The cruelty inflicted on the Muslim population at that time has

become notoriously famous in Turkey, and we keep remembering

that. We also rightfully condemn modern-day Armenia for

occupying a large portion of Azerbaijani land, and creating a million

refugees (“qacqins”) living in terrible conditions.

Yet still, I believe, the fact that we Turks also suffered should not

make us blind and indifferent to the suffering on the other side,

whose proportions are undoubtedly much larger. The fact that we

remember and honor our own dead, in other words, should not

prevent us from feeling mercy and remorse for the hundreds of

thousands of perished Armenians.

The beginning of wisdom

My intention to speak of a “Muslim conscious” in my previous piece,

by referring to some muftis and other devout Ottomans who tried to

save the Armenians in 1915, was to bring in some new perspective

to this moral side of the issue, which I see as the heart of the matter.

I did not say, “Muslims do not commit genocide,” as Prime Minister

Erdoğan unconvincingly said in another context. I rather implied that

Muslims should not do such horrible things if they will remain true to

the principles of their faith, as some exemplary figures saw clearly

during the Armenian exodus.

This is important because a particularly Islamic critique of the tragedy

of 1915 might be the key to Turkey’s way forward. Until recently, those

who questioned the official narrative on this matter were only a bunch

of Western-educated secular liberals, whose language looked too

alien to the majority of society. But recently some conservative Muslim

pundits have also entered debate saying that their values are

represented by not the Young Turks, who were secular nationalists,

but the muftis who opposed the killings “for the fear of God.”

So, well, perhaps the Psalmist was really on to something. “The fear

of the Lord,” might really be, at least once in a while, “the beginning of

Dear AllOur Primate, the Very Revd Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian, is happy to announce the launching of the "Continuing Education Ministry" (CEM), and invite you to be actively involved in the programs of the ministry.

The inaugural lecture of the CEM will be deliverd by the Very Rev. Dr. Paul N. Tarazi, Professor of Biblical Studies at St. Vladimir?s Orthodox Theological Seminary, New York, USA, on Friday, 30 April, 2010 (see flyer attached). Professor Tarazi's lecture, titled "St. Paul - The Apostle to the Gentiles: His Life, Letters and Theology," will be offered at 7:30pm in the Armenian Home (Hye Doon).

The lecture will be a great introduction to the life, letters and teachings of the Apostle. Professor Tarazi will review the biography of the St. Paul and examine the structure and outline of his letters highlighting important theological themes that helped shape the doctrine, theology and spirituality of the Church.

Saturday 24 April, 2010 - The 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is commemorated in front of Haydarpasha train station in Bolis, from where the first convoy of 220 deported Armenians left on April 24, 1915. Most of them never returned back ...

Agence France Presse - April 24, 2010 - Hundreds of rights activists and artists in Istanbul commemorated the 1915-17 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks for the first time Saturday, breaking a near century-old Turkish taboo.The biggest rally was in Taksim Square, in the heart of modern Istanbul, where several hundred people staged a sit-in, holding red carnations and candles and listening to recordings of Armenian music. Police in riot gear guarded the event and kept at bay a group of counter-demonstrators, AFP journalists saw. Earlier the Istanbul branch of the IHD human rights association organised a rally attended by about 100 people on the steps of the Haydarpasa train station from where the first convoy of 220 deported Armenians left on April 24, 1915. Under the slogan "Never Again" and, again, the watchful eye of the police, demonstrators carried black and white photos of some of the deportees, most of whom never returned. Counter-protesters also gathered near the IHD demo, including former diplomats waving the Turkish flag. Forty-two Turkish diplomats were killed by the extremist Armenian Asala organisation in the 1970s and 1980s. Turkish intellectuals and artists signed a petition calling on "those who feel the great pain" to show their sorrow. Avoiding an open confrontation over the term genocide -- which the Turkish government fiercely rejects -- the petition speaks of the "Great Catastrophe" of the massacres. "The genie is out of the bottle," Cengiz Aktar, an Istanbul academic who backs the petition, told AFP. "These broken taboos concern not just Armenia, but also other hidden subjects" such as the rights of minority Kurds, he added. He said that despite the police presence, organisers feared a backlash from people opposed to the demonstration. The Istanbul rallies came as tens of thousands of Armenians marked the 95th anniversary of the mass killings in the Armenian capital Yerevan, amid fresh tensions with Turkey over the collapse of reconciliation efforts. The dispute about the genocide label has poisoned relations between the two neighbours for decades. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed a statement by US President Barack Obama on Saturday which avoided the use of the term and instead referred to "one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century". "President Obama has made a statement which takes into account the sensibilities of Turkey," Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were systematically killed between 1915 and 1917 as the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern Turkey, was falling apart.

GIBRAHAYER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Wednesday 28th April at 7.00 pm - Lecture "Endanegan Tasdiaragoutiun". Speaker: Chairman of the Nareg School Hokapartsoutiun Vartan Tashdjian at the Nareg new Hall, organised by the Nicosia Nareg Parents Association. The event will be followed by a reception which is open to all.

Friday, 30th April at 7:30 pm - “Utidjian” Hall, Nicosia - the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus is organising a lecture “Churches, the Armenian Church and the Ecumenical Movement” by Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Ecumenical Officer of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia.

Saturday 1 May at 10:30 am - Melkoniantsis' Picnic at Pyrga. The event is open for all. The menu is simple (kebab, salad, potatoes) and participation is 10 Euros per person (children are free). The money will cover food cost, so no need to do anything and just come along. If you want to contribute with food, dips, fruit, dessert, drinks, supplies or just volunteer, contact Taline Babikian-Angelidou on 96-577847 or Harout Der Bedrossian. Bring along your nargilehs, your cards, backgammon, football and toys for your kids.

Sunday, 2nd May 2010 at 9:30 am - Sourp Asdvadzadzin Cathedral, Nicosia- “Magaravanki Oukhdi Or” Divine Liturgy and Blessing of the Herisa. Bishop Nareg Alemezian, Ecumenical Officer of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia will celebrate the Divine Liturgy and deliver the Sermon. A short memorial service will be held after the Badarak in front of the statue of Zareh Srpazan, marking the 6th anniversary of his passing.

Saturday, 1st May 2010 at 4:00 pm - at Nareg School, Nicosia - Blessing of the Salt for the Preparation of the Magaravank Herisa. 7:00 pm at Sourp Asdvadzadzin Cathedral, Nicosia- Evening Vigil (Hsgoum). 8:00 pm at Nareg School, Nicosia- Festive Preparation of the Magaravank Herisa; BBQ and Refreshments for all volunteers showing up to help stir and prepare!!! All welcome.

Wednesday 5 May at 7:00pm - Gibrahayer Chief Editor Simon Aynedjian talks about "Hay Tad promotion on the Internet" at the Hall of the Nareg school in Larnaca. Organised by The Armenian Club of Larnaca. Followed by dinner in Larnaca. More details to follow. Sign up with Kevork Hovsepian on 99652690.

Sunday 9 May - Pilgrimage to St. Magar Monastery organised by the Office of the Armenian Representative Vartkes Mahdessian.

Friday 14 May at 8:00 pm - Interactive Lecture/Discussion/ Power Point Presentation, on Sex Education, organised by the Office of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian by Despo Hadjiloizou - Former Executive Director of Family Planning, at The Utudjian Hall of the Armenian Prelature. All youth over the age of 16 as well as parents are strongly recommended to attend.

Friday 28 May at 8:30 pm - Celebrations of the 92nd anniversary of the Independence of Armenia, organised by the ARF Dashnaktsoutiun Cyprus Gomideh, AYMA/HMEM, ARS (HOM) Cyprus "Sosse" Chapter and Hamazkayin Cultural and Educational Association Cyprus "Oshagan" Chapter at PASYDY Hall, followed by Independence feast at AYMA.

Friday 4 June 2010 - The Armenian Relief Society of Cyprus (HOM) is organising a Gala Dinner on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Relief Society at the STOA Restaurant. Welcome drinks at 8:30 pm. Dinner at 9:00pm.

July 16 to August 1 - Khalkidiki Camp of the Armenian Relief Society of Greece (Gabouyd Khach) - For participants of the age group 10-17 years old.

For more details please contact Louise Aynedjian - on 99533684.

September 16, or 17 or 18 Kravadz Or - by The Armenian Relief Society of Cyprus (HOM) who are organising a Concert on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Relief Society at the Presidential Palace. Details to follow.

Saturday 20 November 2010 - Kravadz Or by the Office of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian - Details to be announced later.

Sunday 21 November 2010 - Kravadz Or by the Office of the Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian - Details to be announced later.

TURKISH PRECONDITIONS FREEZE PROTOCOLS

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy welcomes with overwhelming satisfaction the decision of Armenia to freeze the ratification of the protocols signed with Turkey by the Armenian Parliament. One year after the beginning of the process, the Armenian President, Serge Sarkissian, while reaffirming his attachment with the normalisation of relations with Turkey, reported the absence in Turkey of a favourable environment, and of leaders ready to engage in this process. Indeed, the Turkish leaders had put additional conditions, without agreement between the two countries, to the ratification of these protocols, while thus hoping to keep Armenia under pressure. “The first condition to succeed such negotiations is the bona fide of it’s contents: however, we had already observed an obvious imbalance: Armenia clearly expected for this situation to be normalised, and Turkey, whom we denounced as having leaders with a serious lack of sincerity” declared Hilda Tchoboian, Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation. The European Armenian Federation recalls that on April 6th, Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy affirmed the EU support for the protocols by indicating, in accordance with the agreements, that the latter should be applied with no preconditions. “The conditions of a true agreement between the two countries were distorted in advance: Armenia had to pay too high a price for the lifting of the Turkish blockade,” added Hilda Tchoboian. “This decision confirms that Armenia had been duped by Turkey who wants to maintain Armenia as a neighbour hostage”. The Federation recalls that with this attitude, Turkey is infringing the Copenhagen criteria, which stipulate that the applicant countries should establish good relations with their neighbouring countries. “We invite the European Union to take note of Turkish responsibility for the failure of these agreements; and to take effective and rapid measures for the lifting of the blockade on Armenia,” concluded Hilda Tchoboian.

News in Brief - by Sevag Devletian

Political parties in the Republic of Cyprus expressed their solidarity to the Armenians in the struggle for the Armenian Genocide recognition internationally, committed under Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923. “Non-recognition of the Genocide by Turkey will jeopardise the whole mankind,” a statement by Communist Party of Cyprus (AKEL) read. DISY announced that they grieve with Armenian nation on Genocide victims and back all the steps towards the international recognition of the Genocide. “International community should recognise Genocide as a crime against humanity. Turkey should be punished for the Genocide, perpetrated against Armenian people,” the party stated in a statement. Movement for Social Democrats (EDEK) and Movement of Ecologists and Environmental also made statements denouncing the Genocide.

US Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA) expressed his disappointment that President Obama failed to recognise the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide. Royce also took the occasion to call on the House of Representatives to take up H.Res.252, a resolution that would put Congress on record as recognizing the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.

Turkey's Foreign Minister has denounced a statement by US President Barack Obama that the massacre of Armenians during the First World War was one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. Ahmet Davutoglu said on Saturday the country does not accept judgement of its history from the U.S. He called on US leaders to better understand the strategic Turkish-American partnership and to respect Turkey's history.

Turkey is studying what steps to take after Armenia's ruling coalition announced it was halting ratification of a historic accord on normalising bilateral relations.

On April 26, the trilateral meeting of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani religious leaders, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill I and Head of the Caucasus Muslim Board Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh was held on the sidelines of Religious Leaders World Summit in Baku. Karekin II received an unfriendly welcome protest in Baku. Patriarch Kirill said the meeting was very successful and that they discussed various issues, mainly ways of solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Barak Obama's notorious statement on Armenian Remembrance Day

On this solemn day of remembrance, we pause to recall that ninety-five years ago one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century began. In that dark moment of history, 1.5 million Armenians were massacred or marched to their death in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. Today is a day to reflect upon and draw lessons from these terrible events. I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed. It is in all of our interest to see the achievement a full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts. The Medz Yeghern is a devastating chapter in the history of the Armenian people, and we must keep its memory alive in honour of those who were murdered and so that we do not repeat the grave mistakes of the past. I salute the Turks who saved Armenians in 1915 and I am encouraged by the dialogue among Turks and Armenians, and within Turkey itself, regarding this painful history. Together, the Turkish and Armenian people will be stronger as they acknowledge their common history and recognise their common humanity. Even as we confront the inhumanity of 1915, we also are inspired by the remarkable spirit of the Armenian people. While nothing can bring back those who were killed in the Medz Yeghern, the contributions that Armenians have made around the world over the last ninety-five years stand as a testament to the strength, tenacity and courage of the Armenian people. The indomitable spirit of the Armenian people is a lasting triumph over those who set out to destroy them. Many Armenians came to the United States as survivors of the horrors of 1915. Over the generations Americans of Armenian descent have richened our communities, spurred our economy, and strengthened our democracy. The strong traditions and culture of Armenians also became the foundation of a new republic which has become a part of the community of nations, partnering with the world community to build a better future. Today, we pause with them and with Armenians everywhere to remember the awful events of 1915 with deep admiration for their contributions which transcend this dark past and give us hope for the future.

Letters to the Editor

President Barack Obama was a Messiah for me during his campaign. I even wrote a poem for him. But I feel let down. It seems, after all, that the Armenian Genocide is AN INCONVENIENT GENOCIDE for him, since he cannot even pronounce the word. He could have remained as a hero in history, changing Washington, as he promised, yet, unfortunately, Washington changed him.What an opportunity lost for USA and for the world, but above all, for principles, moral, and human justice.Dr. Alicia Ghiragossian In 1965 as a young boy scout I participated in opening of the Genocide memorial on its 50th anniversary. Since then I have been participating and organising April 24th commemorative activities every year without exception. Last year I was in Yerevan on April 24th and I thought that it would be the most memorable and important one for me. How disappointed I was!I was participating in a technical conference organised by Minister of Diaspora. On the morning of April 24th they took conference participants to Dzidzernagapert and we all laid down flowers there and then they were going to take us to Gumery to meet with mayor and other city departments. They mentioned that mayor is going to “open a table for us”, which means food, drinks, and fun. Some of us from Diaspora refused to go to such an activity which means work and having fun on April 24th. Organisers were disappointed that we were turning down mayor’s invitation.On April 24th government was closed so do all the banks and large companies, but more that 80% of the business in Yerevan were operating and people were going about their normal activities just as if it was another day of the year. Where in contrast, in other cities in the world, most of Armenia business, if not all, are closed on April 24th. There is something seriously wrong with this picture.After returning from Dzidzernagapert, I called my friends to find out what other commemorative functions are there in Yerevan to participate. I found out that there were none! Some of comments from my friends were, “we are going and putting flowers in Dzidzernagapert, what else do you want to do?”, “we have concerts and speeches year around, why do we need more today?”, and other similar comments. In the evening, life was very normal in Yerevan and I am afraid that if I had gone to a night club, I would have seen people dancing and having fun just like any other night.It is true that thousands of people go to Dzidzernagapert, but there were no placards, no statements, and no speeches. A flame is burring in Dzidzernagapert, but it seems it is not burning in the people’s heart anymore. In my wildest imagination I would have not thought that I would say this, but I should say that we are lucky by living in cities outside Armenia with large Armenia population where we can properly and respectfully commemorate memory of the victims of the Genocide.Areg Gharabegian Dear Simon,My mother lost 41 members of her family and she is then only one escaped and all killed by them and she was at that time 14 years do not remember her all family names and my father was a soldier under Antranig PASHA and he had 2 bullets in his legs one on each and he shown me many times the area and he told me there were no medicine and after one month the bullets came out.We are from VAN ( MOGASI).Vartan Bedrosian - California

Obama (I omit the "Dear" since you certainly have not earned it), I am the grandson of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. All my grandparents were the only survivors of their huge families. Only my maternal grandmother's family counted 55 people!I had no suspicion that you would not utter the G word this time too. It seems that you not have enough spine for that. It is sad that you could not bring change to the US administration but rather yourself were sucked up...Speaking the truth, I do not care whether you call a genocide a genocide, it should be your own concern in the first place, if you are truly endeavouring to build a good image of your country, an image of truth and rightfulness...Alas, as if the US's biased policies towards the Palestinian question is not enough, or as if the shameful "war on terror" initiated by your predecessor is not enough, you once again proved that the US has no shame at all; it is as immoral as it has been at least since the times of the cold war.Nevertheless, I thank you at least for reassuring me again that my thoughts about the US are still applicable... it is the same totally unreliable and deceitful country and the true axis of evil has its fulcrum in Washington...Arshak Davidian MD - Stepanakert

PILGRIMAGE TO THE SOURP MAGAR MONASTERYFRIDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP

Press release from the Office of The Armenian MP Vartkes Mahdessian - We are delighted to inform the members of our community that the Office of the Armenian Representative is co-organising, together with the Armenian Prelature, a pilgrimage at the site of the Sourp Magar Monastery on Sunday 9 May 2010. This pilgrimage will be under the supervision of the UNFICYP. We would like to ask all persons who wish to participate in this pilgrimage, to register with the Office of the Armenian Representative via telephone number 22-454540 by providing the following details.- Name/Surname, date and place of birth- European ID number or valid passport number- CitizenshipParticipation cost 10 euros. We ask that you necessarily have with you the European ID or passport you provide us by telephone on the day of the pilgrimage.The bus service will depart from the Armenian Prelature at 11:00 am exactly.The last day of registration is in tow days on Friday, 30 April 2010

Armenian Sports by Sevag Devletian

GYMNASTICS: Armenia claimed its first historic gold medal in the Vault competition at the UEG European Gymnastics Championships held in Birmingham UK with the victory of 18-year-old Artur Davtyan.

TENNIS: Yerevan is hosting the Fed Cup tennis women team championship of Euro-African zone’s second group from April 27 to May 1. The championship will bring together eight teams from Armenia, Luxembourg, Greece, Georgia, Norway, Lichtenstein, SAR and Finland.

CHESS: 197 chess players are participating at the 9th International Open de Malakoff in France. After 3 rounds, international masters Valentin Pambukchian (Bulgaria) and Grigor Sevak Mekhitarian (Brazil) won 2 points each and are 1 point behind the leader.

Homenmen FC will face off against CITY Futsal FC tomorrow night in the final play off game for promotion to the Cyprus Futsal 2nd Division. Since both teams have already been promoted, it is expected that all players on the team roster will get a chance to play during the match.

AYMA/HMEM forfeited their scheduled game against Hellenic bank in the Cyprus Amateur 2nd Division due to it being scheduled on the Armenian Genocide commemoration day.

An All-Armenian semi-final: Former Davis Cup star Haig Ashdjian and seniors champion Simon Aynedjian face each other in the semi finals of the over 45 Audi Open Tennis Championships at the Field Club. Ashdjian defeated Marios Kalavanas 6-1, 6-1 and Aynedjian defeated Marc Azaias 6-2, 6-0 in the quarters.